Improvement in couplings for air and steam brakes



Y s. RHINEHART.

Couplings for Air and St-ea-:m-i'ra'kes. N"0'.l`52,413. PatentedY'JuneQS,T874.

AM. PHON-l/IHMHAI//IL @al/K X fassa/m53 Mauss) NEEED STATES PATENT GEFICE.

SAMUEL RHINEHART, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF TYVO-IIIIRDS HIS RIGHT TO FRANK D. CASSIDY AND DALLIS G. STEESE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN COUPLINGS FOR AIR AND STEAM BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 152,413, dated June 23, 1874; application filed May 2l, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL RI-IINEHART, ot' Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ot' Ohio, have invented a new and uscful Improvement in Couplings for Air and Steam Brakes 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specification, in which Figure l is a side elevation ot' my improved coupling applied to the hose ot' an air or steam brake, the collar being moved backward for the uncoupling ot' the joint, and Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the hose coupled.

Similar letters ot' reference in the accompanying' drawings denote the same parts.

The couplings ot' the hose of air and steam brakes, as ordinarily constructed, consist of two tubes, one inserted in the other, and the two coupled together by hooked springs attached to one engaging' with a llange on the opposite tube.

In this construction, it is found, in practice, that the hose is extremely liable to blow apart or become uncoupled by the action ot' the air or steam forced through the hose, which renders the brake inoperative.A

To remedy this defect, in the class of couplings referred to, is the object ot my invention, which consists, first, in the employment oi" a collar encircling one of the tubes of the coupling, and made to surround the bent ends ot' the springs attached to the other half of the coupling to retain the springs in en gagenient with the lan ge of the coupling.

My invention further consists in the employment of a spring, preferably a coiled or helical one, surrounding the coupling behind the colla-r, the tension ot' the coiled spring operatin g to force the sliding collar around the hooked springs, and retain them in engage ment with the iiange on one-halt' the coup lings, the sliding collar having rods attached to it and one of the cars, so that, it' an accident occurs, the collar will be withdrawn from its normal position over the hooked springs, and the joint will become uncoupled, thus obviatin g the danger ot' breaking the hose.

In the accompanying drawings, A and B represent the platforms of two ears, provided with hangers or bearings h h for the hose. d represents onchalf of the coupling, to which the hose b is securely attached steam or air tight. The part d of the coupling is provided with a collar7 c1, at its rear, over which the ends of the springs c c are bent, the latter also passing through slots in the collar c2, by which the hooked springs c c are securely attached to the tubular part d of the coupling. The forward ends ot' the springs c c are bent right angular-ly, and beveled, as seen at o', to engage with the beveled fla-nge o, and couple the parts together. The opposite half el of the tubular coupling consists ot' the llange u, provided with a groove or recess for the reception of a coiled spring, m, encircling the coupling, the opposite end of said spring having its seat in a corresponding groove or recess in the collar c, the tension of the spring operating to move the collar forward over the bent ends ot' the springs c c. The beveled flange ois provided with two depressions in its circumference, to enable the hooked springs c c to be withdrawn from engagement with the beveled ange o when it is desired to uncouple the hose. The collar c has a shoulder, s', formed on its inner cylindrical face, which engages with slots s s on the rounded surface of the part el oi1 the coupling. rlhis construction limits the play of the collar on the coupling. o' r are exible rods or cords, attached to the collar c, preferably thence passing through eyes or guides on the hose to prevent their sagging, and thence passing under the platform, and attached thereto, the iiexible rods or cords being' shorter than the hose.

By this construction it will be seen that the collar employed securely retains the hooked springs c c in their seats, and prevent-s the blowing apart of the coupling from the pressure ol' the air or steam, and that, if any accident occurs, the car to which the flexible rodl or cords are attached will through them withdraw the collar from over the hooked springs, when The latter will be Withdrawn from engagement with the flange, and the joint be nncouplcd Without liability of breakage of the hose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The half-coupling d, provided with the hooked springs e e, in combination With the collar c and the half-coupling d', having the ange o, substantially as described.

2. The half-couplings (l d', constructed Sei; forth, in combination with the sliding col.- lznr c, coiled spring m, and exible connections r r, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL RHINEHART. Vitnesses:

NATI-IAN K. ELLSWORTII, MELVILLE CHURCH. 

